CHARLES  RIVER  PARKLANDS  UPDATE
October 2007
Archives—Table of Contents

Luncheon Celebrates The Lynch Foundation’s $500,000 Challenge Grant to Skatepark

October 18, 2007 – Guest speakers at the luncheon included Carolyn and Peter Lynch, Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino, Cambridge Mayor Kenneth Reeves, State Representative Timothy Toomey, and former Lieutenant Governor Thomas O’Neill, III.

The challenge grant brings the total raised to just over $2 million, bringing the goal of $2.3 million within reach and anticipating a groundbreaking in spring 2008. The gift stipulates that The Lynch Foundation will match other donations at a five to one ratio. If you would like to make a contribution, please click here. Follow these links for press clippings and photos of the event.

4th Annual RiverSing and Bridge Illumination

On Sunday, September 23rd, 5000 people united to share a magical evening of song and light in celebration of the Autumnal Equinox, a now annual tradition hosted by Revels and the Charles River Conservancy. RiverSing 2007 also included the permanent illumination of the River Street Bridge. This is now the fourth bridge that the Conservancy has illuminated, bringing a touch of romantic beauty to the Parklands’ night scene. View pictures of this festive occasion and the newly lit River Street Bridge.

Conservancy Volunteers Renovate Eliot Bridge Embankment

Students and professors from Northeastern University's Association of Civil Engineers (NU ASCE) volunteered their time this summer to do the engineering, design, permitting, and actual construction work to repair the badly eroded bridge embankment. Under the guidance of landscape architect Catherine Melina of Melina/Hyland Design Group in Cambridge, other volunteers helped plant the area to prevent future erosion.

This project was supported by a $10,000 gift from the Boston Committee of the Garden Club of America. Recently, the CRC received a $20,000 grant from the Adobe Foundation to support all the good work the Conservancy Volunteers are doing.

For more information or if you would like to schedule an event for your school, company, or organization, please contact Evan Moss at the number in the left-hand column or email edm@thecharles.org.

CRC TV Show Now Live on Boston Neighborhood News

The Conservancy now has a regular weekly television talk show on Boston Neighborhood News (BNN), which can be viewed on Comcast Channel 9 (Boston only). The talk show, entitled The Charles River Parklands, is aired live on Monday nights from 7:00-7:30 pm. You can also catch repeat viewings on Tuesdays at 3:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. and on Sundays at 8 a.m.

The CRC also continues to offer a regular television talk show on CCTV, which can be viewed on Channel 9 (Cambridge only). The CCTV show airs on the second and fourth Wednesdays of every month from 5:30-6:00 pm, with a repeat showing at 12:30 a.m. of the same night.

Charles River Pathway Reconstruction Advisory

Please note that Department of Conservation and Recreation crews will be reconstructing a portion of the Charles River Pathway which runs adjacent to Storrow Drive / Soldiers Field Road between the BU Bridge and River Street. During the reconstruction, the pathway will be closed; pedestrians and bicyclists are encouraged to use the Memorial Drive paths as a detour. Reconstruction work will be taking place each day from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday, October 29, 2007 – Monday, November 19, 2007. This effort continues the restoration work done with funds raised by the CRC upriver from the Arsenal bridge. For more information, click here.

Help Save the Esplanade!

Please click here for more information and to sign a petition that seeks to halt the proposed bypass onto the Esplanade during the upcoming Storrow Drive Tunnel reconstruction.

The Charles River Conservancy takes as its mission the renewal and stewardship of the Charles River Parklands and their surroundings, particularly parks, parkways and bridges. The Conservancy engages in numerous Parklands restoration and improvement initiatives, including access and safety, education and outreach, and planning and maintenance programs, and relies heavily on individual contributions. To support the Charles River Conservancy, click here. Thank you!

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